1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention generally relates to portable and fixed mount electronic devices having control and data entry means such as keypads and/or rotary knobs and display screens. More specifically, the invention relates to an electronic device optimally configured for both fixed mounting and hand-held operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, numerous types of electronics devices are available such as Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation systems, communication transceivers, telephones, calculators, computers, personal digital assistants, personal organizers, and video devices such as television. The foregoing devices are generally designed for use in either a vertical orientation or horizontal orientation.
Electronic devices designed for optimum portable handheld operation are housed within a vertically aligned housing with a narrow width dimension on the order of 2-4 inches and with longer length dimensions on the order of 4-9 inches. This vertical alignment affords the most comfortable configuration to be held and the most convenient alignment for the entry of data and for viewing of a display screen. The above-noted vertically aligned electronic devices may also be designed to be carried within a belt mounted carrying case about a user""s waist. When intended for such applications, the vertical alignment typically orients the portable electronic equipment to hang vertically from the user""s waist. This is generally inconvenient to view or operate while walking or in a vehicle since the display and keypad are hanging down and not convenient to operate or see. In addition, while entering a vehicle, it is necessary to move the electronic device to a horizontal position to slide onto the vehicle seat.
Electronic devices designed for fixed mount applications, such as in or on an aircraft panel, boat panel, land vehicle panel and the like; are normally provided within a housing which is oriented to extend along a horizontal axis when mounted within the panel or console mounted on the panel. When fixed mounted in the panel, the horizontal alignment provides convenient accommodation of several different types of electronic devices to be stacked upon one another for best functionality and space utilization. Examples are AM-FM stereo, CD changer, cellular telephone, heat and air conditioning control panels in automobiles.
When console mounted on the panel, the horizontal orientation improves visibility by reducing obstructions to the user""s field of vision and also minimizes tendencies for the device to tip over when bumped by the user or during abrupt maneuvers of the vehicle.
However, each of the two primary orientations experiences shortcomings which limit the broadest application of portable electronic devices.
Portable electronic equipment with horizontal orientation optimized for dash mounted and console mounted applications are inconvenient to use in hand-held applications. In particular, horizontally oriented devices are awkward and uncomfortable to hold and are equally awkward and uncomfortable for data entry and display viewing.
Portable electronic equipment with vertical orientation is inconvenient to mount in a car, boat or aircraft panel due to physical constraints of the panel itself and other electronic devices that are generally horizontally configured. Electronic devices with vertical orientation must be secured in a vertical mount when mounted on the top of the console in a boat, aircraft or land vehicle in order to be viewed and operated. However, often there is insufficient clearance to the windshield to accomplish same. When sufficient clearance is available, the device then protrudes into the line of vision partially blocking the vision and is more exposed to damage by bumping than a horizontal orientation.
If a vertically oriented portable device is not securely mounted to the console when in a vehicle, the device rests upon the console on its back thereby orienting the display screen directly upward from the console surface. Hence, the display is generally aligned along a horizontal plane which is difficult if not impossible to view unless the user looks directly downward upon the display screen. Further, electronic devices that are limited to line-of-sight reception such as GPS Navigation receivers, cannot simply be picked up from the dash by the user to view the display since, doing so, would block the line of sight signals from the satellites by the roof of the vehicle. In order to conveniently view and operate portable electronic equipment with vertical orientation and line of sight signal requirements while in a vehicle, a separate or detachable antenna is required to be placed on the console or outside the vehicle to allow the electronic device to be held in the hand or placed on the seat adjacent to the operator.
Belt-mounted devices, used by public service providers such as police officers, are inconvenient to use particularly when entering and exiting a vehicle. When the officer enters and exits the vehicle, the device must be lifted for clearance or removed from the belt before entering the vehicle. If the device is retained on the officer""s belt while in the car, the device becomes inoperative and it is blocked from direct line of communication with signal""s from source(s) passing through the glass windows. Generally, these disadvantages of a belt mounted device lead to officers using separate dash mounted communications devices in the car which leads to greater expense than if a single electronic device could perform both the portable and fixed mount applications.
Hence, a need remains within the industry for a single device which meets the needs and requirements for combination portable and fixed mount applications. It is an object of the present invention to meet these needs and requirements.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device which is useful in both portable and fixed mount applications.
It is a corollary object of the present invention to provide a single electronic device which will allow optimum performance, functionability and ease of use with a vertical orientation in hand-held applications or a horizontal orientation when in fixed mount operations in a dash or on a console of a boat, plane, or car, or suspended from a user""s belt.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic device which utilizes a housing which is both affixable upon a console in a horizontal alignment and is comfortably held in a vertical alignment.
It is a further object of the invention to accomplish automatic or manual transition between a vertically oriented display screen and a horizontally oriented screen as the invention is used in different applications.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a portable electronic device which includes a housing having a front face, a base, and a back wall joined in a polyhedron configuration. The front face includes an input area having keys for data entry and a display area having a screen to illustrate information to the user. The front face, back wall, and base are joined in the polyhedron configuration with approximately a right triangular cross-section, such that the front face is presented to the user at substantially a 45xc2x0 angle to horizontal when the base is mounted upon a horizontal or vertical surface (i.e. a console, dash, visor, belt, etc.). The front face, back wall, and base are joined at rounded edges to afford a smooth contour which is easily and comfortably grasped within the hand of the user. The portable electronic device further includes a sensor and/or switch to automatically and/or manually reorient the display screen between horizontal or vertical axes. The sensor or switch delivers an output to a display controller which realigns information displayed upon the view screen to shift the displayed information between vertical and horizontal configurations. The switch may simply represent an input key. The input keys within the input area include indicia identifying the function of each key, wherein the indicia are aligned at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing. Such angular alignment of the indicia enable the indicia to be easily viewed when the housing is held within the hand of a user at a vertical alignment or mounted upon a console in a horizontal alignment. A journalled recess may be provided in the surface of the base to securely retain securing adhesive, such as VELCRO. A battery may be included to support operation absent of an external source. The back wall may include receptacles to attach the device to an external antennae and to receive data storage cards containing various forms of data and information, such as data cards, CD ROMS, disk drives, flash memories and external and internal battery chargers. The input area may include a key pad, rotary knobs, switches and the like, and any combination thereof.